My CVS Shopping Trip

Yesterday at CVS, I spent $20.45 and saved $21.35, which is 52%. Here's what I bought:
1 M&Ms big bag $4.99(half off for after Christmas sale)
2 Kelloggs cereal $1.98 each = $3.96
1 Zyrtec 5 count $2.99 + $5.99 extra bucks
1 Bandaid $2.99 - $.50 coupon = $2.49 + $2.00 extra bucks
1 Combo $2.00 + $2.00 extra bucks
2 Skippy Peanut Butter $1.66 each = $3.32

I also had $3.00 in extra bucks from last time to help pay for this trip.

Many places didn't have good sales this week, so I didn't have many stores to shop at. Hopefully next week the sales will pick up.

Private Selection Frozen Appetizer Review

As a Bzzagent, I was sent coupons to try 3 different Private Selection Products. The second product my family and I tried was the Private Selection Southwestern Style Chicken Trumpets Appetizers. They also have Mediterranean Inspired Hors D'Oeuvres collection, Mushroom Walnut Profiteroles, and Spanakopita available. The Private Selection products are available in the Kroger family of stores for about $3-7. I bought mine at our local Ralphs. These appetizers are individually handcrafted and filled with a unique combination of high-quality savory ingredients.

The Southwestern Style Chicken Trumpets that we tried are tortilla trumpets filled with sauteed chicken, crisp peppers, cheddar cheese and chili pepper. These appetizers are easy to prepare. You just preheat the oven to 400 degrees, put the appetizers on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. I lined my baking sheet with aluminum foil and sprayed it with generic Pam. They recommend lining it with parchment paper, but I didn't have that, and my way worked just fine. They came out perfectly crisp with the cheese melted after 15 minutes. I'm glad they were done on time because I was serving these for our Christmas dinner and I forgot to put them in the oven! I was cooking at the stove and looked down and wondered why the oven was still on, since the ham was already done, and then I remembered I needed to cook the appetizers! My family all agreed it was worth the wait. Besides the 5 of us, my parents and uncle were over for dinner. The only one that didn't try an appetizer is my mom because she's allergic to onions, and these appetizers have onion powder in them. Everyone loved these appetizers! They all thought they were delicious, not too spicy, had just the right amount of crispiness, and just the right combination of flavors. In fact, 3 people even took a second appetizer. There are 9 appetizers in the box, and only 1 was left. It says you can refrigerate the leftovers, so I did and I heated it in the microwave the next night, along with the rest of our leftovers and it was still just as delicious as the night before.

If you would like to learn more about the Private Selection products, visit Kroger.com . They also have frozen pizzas and desserts. I will be trying the dessert soon, so be on the lookout for that review. We will definitely buy some of these appetizers in the future. Let me know if you've ever tried any Private Selection products and what you thought of them.

Rainbow Colored Heart Bookmark

I just started listing my Valentine's items in my Etsy shop. The first item I listed today is a bookmark. I will try to list a new item every day and also change all of my items' descriptions to Valentine's Day, rather than Christmas. Yesterday, my daughter and I went through all of my inventory to make sure I have an accurate record for the year end. While doing that, we pulled out all of my items to sell for Valentine's Day. I'm also currently working on a heart tissue box. I showed it to my mom after Christmas dinner and she really liked it.

Have any of you started listing your Valentine's items or changing your descriptions yet? What items have you listed?

My Vons and Ralphs Shopping Trips

Today at Vons, I spent $5.84 and saved $2.32, which is 28%. Here's what I bought:
2 Crystals(for baking) $1.25 each = $2.50
Green beans $1.99/pound = $3.34

They had Dryers on sale for $2.88, but I only wanted Peppermint ice cream and they didn't have any! :( This is the first year the kids and I won't have that special ice cream for Christmas.


At Ralphs, I spent $7.98 and saved $9.08, which is 54%. Here's what I bought:
2 Deluxe ice cream $5.00
2 General Mills Cereal $3.98 - $1.00 coupon = $2.98

My Walgreens and CVS Shopping Trip

Yesterday at Walgreens, I spent $.29 and saved $1.00, which is 99%. Here's what I bought:
1 dozen eggs $1.29

I also had $1 in register rewards from last week to help pay for this trip. The cashier couldn't believe I only had to pay $.29.


At CVS, I spent $6.83 and saved $12.54, which is 65%. Here's what I bought:
1 hand sanitizer $1.99 - $1.99 coupon = Free
2 Ricola $3.00 - bogo free coupon = $1.50 + $1.00 extra bucks
3 Hersheys candy bags $2.50 each = $7.50 - free coupon = $5.00 + $2.00 extra bucks

Private Selection Frozen Pizza Review

As a Bzzagent, I was sent coupons to try 3 different Private Selection Products. The first product my family and I tried was the Private Selection BBQ Chicken Frozen Pizza. They also have Margherita, Roasted Vegetable and Pepperoni available. The Private Selection products are available in the Kroger family of stores for about $5. I bought mine at our local Ralphs. These pizzas are baked in an Italian marble oven to create a thin, flaky base to top-tier ingredients.

This pizza is very easy to prepare. The directions on the back say to cook the pizza directly on the oven rack, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that, so I cooked it on my pizza pan and it turned out just fine. The thin crust was cooked perfectly. My family and I were divided about how much we liked the BBQ Chicken pizza. We all liked the flavor of the pizza, but the seasonings on the chicken were too spicy for me, my daughter, and my youngest son. My oldest son and my husband didn't think it was too spicy, in fact my son ate a second piece. This pizza was enough for the 5 of us to eat for dinner, along with some fresh vegetables. We would definitely try this pizza again, but we would try a different flavor.

If you would like to learn more about the Private Selection products, visit Kroger.com. They also have frozen appetizers and desserts. I will be trying these soon, so be on the lookout for those reviews. Let me know if you've ever tried any Private Selection products and what you thought of them.

I Won A Blender

On November 29, I won a Farberware® Heavy-Duty 10-Speed Blender from Shining2Save. Here's a link to her blog: http://www.shining2save.com/. I'm sorry you can't just click on the link and go to it, but that option disappeared from my posting, and I can't figure out how to get it back. Anyway, this is the most valuable prize I've ever won! When Kari sent me the email saying I won the blender, I couldn't believe it!

The blender arrived very quickly and I've already used it to make a smoothie. The blender has several preprogrammed settings, and one of them is for a smoothie. All you have to do is put your smoothie ingredients in the blender and push the smoothie button. Then the blender does all the work and you get a perfectly blended smoothie! I love this new Farberware blender I won and I will definitely use it over and over again.

What is the most valuable thing you've ever won in a giveaway?

My Stater Bros.,Albertsons,& Fresh & Easy Shopping Trips

Today at Stater Bros., I spent $25.32 and saved $21.20, which is 46%. Here's what I bought:
6 Nabisco crackers $1.49 each = $8.94 - 2 $1.00 coupons = $6.94
2 Caprisun/Koolaid $1.49 each = $2.98
4 Chips Ahoy $1.99 each = $7.96
1 Flour tortillas $.99
5 Tic tacs $1.29 each = $6.45 These weren't on sale, but that's what my daughter's best friend wants for a Christmas present. Not a bad price for a present!


At Fresh & Easy, I spent $9.97 and saved $3.32, which is 25%. Here's what I bought:
10 pound potatoes $1.99
2 pounds carrots $.98
6 Can vegetables $3.00
2 Fruit juice $4.00

It always looks like I don't save much at Fresh and Easy because they have some things with low every day prices. Their prices on the potatoes and carrots were much lower than everyone else's sales prices.


At Albertsons, I spent $14.60 and saved $30.93, which is 68%. Here's what I bought:
2 Swanson Broth $.50 each = $1.00
4 Campbells cream soup $.59 each = $2.36
2 Albertsons shredded cheese $1.99 each = $3.98
4 Ragu $.99 each = $3.96 - $1.00 coupon = $2.96
2 Wishbone dressing $.99 each = $1.98 - $.75 coupon = $1.23
2 Rice/Pastaroni $.79 each = $1.58
1 French Bread $1.49

My Vons and Ralphs Shopping Trips

Today at Vons, I spent $8.19 and saved $13.37, which is 62%. Here's what I bought:
1 Sierra Mist free with store coupon
2 Oreo $1.99 each = $3.98
1 Egg Nog $2.99
1 Celery $1.00


I forgot to take a picture of my Ralphs shopping trip, sorry. I spent $12.55 and saved $18.55, which is 60%. Here's what I bought:
2 Pepperidge Farms Cookies $1.99 each = $3.98 - $1.00 coupon = $2.98
Broccoli and Cauliflower $.68/pound
4 Deluxe ice cream $10.00

My Walgreens and CVS Shopping Trip

Yesterday at Walgreens, I spent $2.45 and saved $15.52, which is 86%. Here's what I bought:
3 Russell Stover candy $.39 each = $1.17
6 Peeps/Hershey $.50 each = $3.00
3 Softsoap $.99 each = $2.97
1 Salonpas $1.00 + $1.00 register reward

I also had $6.00 in register rewards from last time to help pay for this trip.


At CVS, I spent $5.70 and saved $8.44, which is 61%. Here's what I bought:
2 Martinelli's apple cider $1.99 each = $3.98
4 Dole pineapple chunks with rain checks for $.88 each = $3.52 - 2 $.50 coupons = $2.52

I also had $1 in extra bucks to help pay for this purchase.

I Won A Marzetti Coupon

On November 3, I won a coupon for a free tub of any variety Marzetti Produce Dips! I won it from Tidbits From a Mom. I haven't decided yet which dip I'll buy. I'm deciding between the caramel dip to help encourage my kids to eat apples, or the Greek dip to have with pita chips, or the ranch dip to eat with our vegetables. Which dip would you pick?

My Stater Bros. and Albertsons Shopping Trips

Today at Stater Bros, I spent $14.55 and saved $17.23, which is 55%. Here's what I bought:
5 General Mills Cereal $1.88 each = $9.40 - $1.00 coupon = $8.40
2 Farmland Bacon $5.00
Cabbage $.50/pound


At Albertsons, I spent $14.24 and saved $16.29, which is 53%. Here's what I bought:
4 Campbells tomato/chicken noodle soup $2.00 - $.40 doubled coupon = $1.20
2 Minute Maid orange juice $5.00
5 Hunts pudding $.75 each = $3.75
5 Chef Boyardee $.75 each = $3.75

My Vons and Ralphs Shopping Trips

Today at Vons, I spent $7.38 and saved $5.82, which is 44%. Here's what I bought:
2 Lucerne ice cream $5.00
Fuji apples $.88/pound
green beans $1.00/pound


At Ralphs, I spent $8.68 and saved $32.16, which is 79%. Here's what I bought:
2 Hillshire Farms sausage $4.98 - $.75 coupon = $4.23
Kelloggs Cinnabon Cereal $1.99
Brown onions $.50/pound
Zucchini $.99/pound
Private Selection pizza, dessert, and appetizer free

I received the Private Selection items for free because as a BzzAgent, I received coupons to try the products for free and then review them. So, look out for the review sometime in the future on my blog.

My Walgreens and CVS Shopping Trip

Yesterday at Walgreens, I spent $18.71 and saved $36.82, which is 67%. Here's what I bought:
6 Chex Mix $1.50 each = $9.00
4 Pork and Beans/Vienna sausage $2.00
3 Nestle Candy Bars $.75
6 Christmas candies $.39 each = $2.34
5 Sharpies $.29 each = $1.45
6 Puzzles/activity pads $2.00
3 Pantyhose $.79 each = $2.37
1 Revlon nail polish $3.99 + $3.00 register rewards
1 Dove Men deodorant $3.99 - $.25 coupon = $3.74 + $3.00 register rewards

I also had $10.00 in register rewards from last time to help pay for this trip.

By the way, I'm sorry my picture isn't very good, but I had to take it on my bed because I have Christmas items I can't let my kids see.


At CVS, I spent $17.56 and saved $17.04, which is 50%. Here's what I bought:
1 eggs $1.49
4 Renuzit $.88 each = $3.52
2 M & Ms $5.00 - $1.00 coupon = $4.00
2 Dawn $.88 each = $1.76 - 2 $.25 coupons = $1.26
4 Hersheys minis $2.22 each = $8.88 - 2 $1.00 coupons = $6.88

Ralph's The Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies Review

As a BzzAgent, I was sent 2 boxes of Ralph's The Truly Awesome Homestyle Chocolate Chip Cookies to review. Each box of cookies contains 8 cookies. These cookies have chocolate chips as the #1 ingredient, so there are plenty in each cookie. These cookies taste like mom baked them because they're made with real, wholesome ingredients and don't have any added preservatives or artificial colors. They are almost 2 times the size of other chocolate chip cookies and if you warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave, they'll taste just like they came out of the oven. The suggested retail price for the box of cookies is $2.79.

My kids and husband and I really liked the wonderful taste of these chocolate chip cookies. I also really liked the large size because I feel better eating just one cookie, rather than a whole bunch! :) My eldest son and my husband are the big cookie eaters in our family, so the box disappeared quickly. The price of the cookies isn't bad either, especially if you have a coupon. We didn't try them warmed up in the microwave, because we thought they were great just out of the box.

If you would like to try these Truly Awesome Cookies yourself, you can! Just check out the Kroger new product page. They also have other new products in their The Truly Awesome line like yogurt, macaroni and cheese, and vegetable combinations.

We will definitely buy these cookies again! Have any of you ever tried them? What did you think?

My Stater Bros. and Albertsons Shopping Trips

Today at Stater Bros, I spent $6.93 and saved $3.45, which is 34%. Here's what I bought:
Pears $1.00/pound
Zucchini $.99/pound
2 Gogurt/Yoplait Trix $1.99 each = $3.98 - $.75 coupon = $3.23

At Albertsons, I spent $24.80 and saved $19.44, which is 44%. Here's what I bought:
6 Lunchables $1.00 each = $6.00
10 Lean Pockets $1.88 each = $18.80

My Vons Shopping Trip

Today at Vons, I spent $22.93 and saved $13.29, which is 37%. Here's what I bought:
Asparagus $1.47/pound
2 Refreshe soda(not pictured) $4.00
Celery $.99
4 Lucerne ice cream $10.00
Yakult $2.99
Mushrooms - not on sale

My Walgreens and CVS Shopping Trip

Yesterday at Walgreens, I spent $22.62 and saved $19.82, which is 47%. Here's what I bought:
3 Russel Stover Christmas candy $.29 each = $.87
3 Betty Crocker Muffin Mix $1.00
1 Brachs Chocolate Santa pack $1.99
3 Lysol toilet cleaner $1.99 each = $5.97 - $1.00 coupon = $4.97
1 Ajax $.50
6 Sticker books $.39 each = $2.34
1 Walgreens cold sore treatment $7.99 + $7.99 register rewards
1 Soft lips $2.00 + $2.00 register rewards
1 Planters peanut butter $1.50

I also had $2.00 in register rewards from last time to help pay for this trip.

At CVS, I spent $5.96 and saved $12.75, which is 69%. Here's what I bought:
2 M & Ms $1.98 each = $3.96 - $1.00 coupon = $2.96
3 Puffs $.77 each = $2.31 - $.25 coupon = $2.06
2 Betty Crocker Brownies $.88 each = $1.76

Nature's Own Bread Review

As a member of BzzAgent, I received a coupon for a free Nature's Own Bread product. I chose Nature's Own Butter Top Bread. Nature's Own products have no artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, no trans fats or cholesterol and are low in fat. They also have whole grain items available. Nature's Own also has nutritional benefits like reduced carbohydrates, higher fiber, lower calories and Omega 3.

My family and I really liked the taste and texture of the Nature's Own Butter Top Bread. Every slice was nice and soft and had a good flavor. A couple of my kids are very picky, so if they liked it, I'm sure you and your kids will like it too. I also liked that you can see through the bag, so you can make sure the bread looks good before you buy it. It also helps me keep track of how much bread is left without having to open the bag.

If you would like to learn more about Nature's Own Bread so you can try it yourself, here's the link to their website. I couldn't find the Butter Top bread that we tried on their website, but here's the link to their Butterbread.

We will definitely try Nature's Own bread products again, especially if we have a coupon. Have any of you ever tried these products before? What did you think?